Point Lookout
by Death's Whisper
Summary: Two weeks after the events of "Broken Steel", the Lone Wanderer is asked to journey through the mysterious Point Lookout, unknown of what awaits her there. A novelization of the DLC, "Point Lookout".
1. The Local Flavor

**Chapter 1: **

**A Local Flavor **

**-Eight Months after leaving Vault 101-**

**-Two Weeks after destroying the Adams AFB Platform-**

**-6:50pm-**

As always, I didn't know what to expect when I saw an old riverboat docked south of Rivet City. The only boats I've ever seen were the rusted up, abandoned ones in the Potomac. It looked like something I once saw in an old, pre-war book I saw in the Arlington Library…I believed it was called a "steamboat".

I was surprised to see it in such good condition despite it being over 200 years old. I wasn't aware of who owned the boat, but when I spotted a middle-aged woman near the docks, I left my 10mm submachine gun in its holster. After all the shit I've been through, I never let my guard down for a minute.

I was with Dogmeat and Charon when I approached the steamboat- before Charon, I was accompanied by Star Paladin Cross, a loyal member of the Brotherhood of Steel who knew my father when I was just a newborn. She was very stern, but was very useful in combat. I first met her when I was in the Citadel for the first time with Dr. Madison Li. She was with me for about two months until she was killed near the Capitol Building when we came across Talon Company Mercs and a hoard of Super Mutants killing each other. A week later, I hired a ghoul who lived in Underworld, Charon, who's been with me ever since.

The woman, who's name was Catherine (the same name as my mother's), approached me when she first saw me and pleaded:

"You! Are you going to Point Lookout? I need your help!"

Who doesn't?

"My daughter stowed away on the _Duchess Gambit_ a few weeks ago and I haven't seen her since," she continued. "I haven't heard anything from her, but if you're going to Point Lookout, could you look for her? Please, I'll do anything…"

Another person who needed my help. Again. But she reminded me of when I was desperate to look for my father months ago, which was why I left Vault 101 in the first place and came here, the Wasteland.

"I can't promise anything ma'm, but I'll look for her." I promised. I'm always making promises. Fortunately, I'm usually one to keep my promises.

She thanked me, and told me that her daughter's name is Nadine, who sounded like a stereotypical naïve adventurer from what Catherine told me.

"That Tobar said he dropped her off at Point Lookout, but who knows what's happened to her since?" Catherine said to me.

The shady looking guy behind her on the boat must've been the boat's ferryman, Tobar. I'd be worried to if I let my kid venture in the world left in the care of a man that looked like some Slaver from Paradise Falls.

Catherine wasn't sure if I could convince her daughter to come home, so she gave me a note to give Nadine. I asked her what her daughter looked like, and she mentioned that she had bright orange hair (which didn't really help me). And when I asked her what she knew about this Point Lookout, she said she only knew it was where the ferryman got his "Punga Fruit" (whatever that was), but he makes a good profit out of selling them.

"I hear rumors that place is full of swamps and killer plants, but I don't know about all that…"

Great. Another place where I could possibly get killed and fight for my life.

When I finished getting information shot this "Pont Lookout" from Catherine, I went up to the shady ferryman, Tobar as Catherine called him. It wasn't his appearance that made him look distrusting- he gave off the same vibe as any Slaver I've ever met or that lying ghoul, Crowley I met in Underworld.

"Welcome, my friend!" The ferryman introduced himself. "I am Tobar the Ferryman and this fine vessel is the _Duchess Gambit. _And who might you be, ma'am?"

"Who I am is none of your business." I spat.

"Now, now don't be like that, girl," Tobar said calmly. "It's common courtesy to address one's name when they meet someone new. Although it seems like such courtesy had been abandoned long ago in the Wastes."

"A name?" I sneered. "People around the Capitol Wasteland know me as the 'Lone Wanderer'. That's the closest thing to a name I have now."

"Well 'Miss Wanderer' we're just back from Point Lookout, but it won't be long before we set off again. From your conversation with dear ol' Catherine over there, you seem interested."

I saw Charon stare at him intensely, as if he was ready to shoot him with his Combat Shotgun. Then again, he always looked like that whenever I talked to a man.

"I might be," I say. "What's in Point Lookout?"

He gave a sly smile started off his monologue, "From you attitude, you seem like a woman who's been around the wastes, so I'll cut right to it before your friend starts to put bullets through my head,"

He was referring to Charon, who indeed looked pissed off and he did seem like he was about to shoot the ferryman in the head. He had the same look on his face when I first met him when he was employed to Ahzrukhal the former owner of Underworld's local bar, the 9th Circle… After I bought his contract from his former employee, he only had that look on his face when he was around someone he didn't trust, or didn't like. Then again, Charon never seemed the type to trust anyone- the one thing he and I have in common.

"Don't mind, Charon. He won't shoot unless I tell him," I tell him. "Same rule applies to Dogmeat." I gesture toward the adorable animal beside me, Dogmeat, my first true friend out here in the Wasteland. "As you were saying Tobar?"

"Oh yes, didn't mean to get side-tracked- Miss Wanderer, in Point Lookout, you'll find fresh-grown fruit, mysterious locales, and treasures as-of-yet un-looked," He continued his monologue. "But keep your wits about you, because you'll find more than a exotic critters and inhospitable locals-"

"Tobar," I cut him off bitterly. "You have no idea of the amount of shit I've been through since I arrived here in the Capitol Wasteland. If I've survived this long out in this hellhole without as so much as losing a limb, I can survive whatever your little 'exotic critters' and 'inhospitable locals' has in store for me."

Before he could reply to my threat, I continued, changing the subject. "I was told that a girl named Nadine caught a ride on your ship. Know where she is?"

Tobar merely responded that he didn't know where she was, but probably got herself into "plenty of trouble" as he said it. Knowing suspicious slime like him, he was hiding something.

When I asked him more about Point Lookout, he started spouting some bullshit, so I didn't really pay attention to what he was saying…until he mentioned that he doesn't do "group trips" and told me to leave Charon and Dogmeat in the Wasteland while I go to Point Lookout.

Although I didn't feel comfortable going to some unknown location without the two of them, it couldn't' be helped. I told Dogmeat to meet me back home in Megaton- and knowing that I was probably going to be gone for a while, I told Charon to wait for me back in Underworld. I didn't want him to wait for me back in Megaton where he'd suffer the peoples' bigotry like Gob, the town's punching bag.

After I bought a very expensive ticket to Point Lookout (330 caps? I spend less money at the local clinic whenever I need to buy Stimpaks) Tobar showed me the cabin I'd be staying in before we set off. I gave my goodbyes to Dogmeat and Charon before I slept on the cot in my cabin.

I didn't know how long my trip down there would take, so I got as much sleep as I could.

*****

**-11: 57am-**

**-The Next Morning-**

Apparently, it didn't take too long to get there (from what Tobar said), but Tobar said he didn't want to wake me up.

When I took my first look at Point Lookout, I don't think I've ever seen a more disturbingly, creepy place in my life. The area was covered in fog, and the remnants of an abandoned amusement park were still standing. Despite everything I've seen in the Wasteland, I found that this place had the true depiction of a "ghost town"- even though that this pier was only part of the haunted Point Lookout.

"Welcome to Point Lookout, my friend!" Tobar greeted me when I first saw him. "The trip was fine, the weather's nice and damp, and everything out there looks as pleasant as ever!"

I wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic or if he was serious.

"Looks like nothing changed since my last visit…except all that smoke I saw on the way in." He said.

_Smoke?_

I looked behind me, and I indeed, saw a pillar of smoke, as black as charcoal, emerge from a large building less than half a mile from the pier. I was a little startled, but then again, not completely out of the ordinary from all that I've seen.

"Tobar, what's over there?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing much," He answered. "Just old Calvert Mansion. Just a huge, abandoned estate teaming with who knows what opportunities for profitable scavenging. Y'know, nothing much."

"Wow. Thanks for the advice." I scoffed sarcastically.

"I know I said Point Lookout as perfect for treasure hunters, but it's a rare day when you get a beacon like that!" He exclaimed, ignoring my comment.

"I see…" Looks like I'm gonna have to help another local. Again.

Before I went out to look at this Calvert Mansion, I bought a couple Stimpaks from Tobar and asked him if there were any shops close by that I go to in the future. He mentioned a shop owned by a woman named Panada down by the docks, and an old motel if I needed to rest. Soon after mentioning a man named Plik, I went toward Calvert Mansion.

When I walked along the pier, I was surprised I didn't fall through the wood considering that it was over 200 years old. The weather was uncomfortably humid- the Wasteland was just hot as hell, but the humidity made me feel like I was suffocating. The walk to Calvert Mansion felt as though it was taking forever. (I was attacked by a Swamplurk on my way there, but I quickly disposed of it with my 10mm submachine gun. The bastard was tougher to kill than regular Mirelurks back in the Capital Wasteland).

When I approached the mansion, I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into. Something told me that I was going to get in a whole lot of trouble in this haunted mansion…and my instincts are usually always right.

As I made my way near the door, I saw a camera and a set of speakers that were added on after the war. An irritated, raspy voice had recognized my presence.

"You! You're no Tribal! Get in here and help me fight these bastards off, goddammit!"

I starred at the camera for a minute, but after that I put my hand on the doorknob while the voice kept cursing at me. "You! I see you out there, woman! Stop dicking around and help me, or else those cocksuckers will be coming after you next!"

Jesus.

The first thing I saw when I walked into the mansion were a pack of dogs attacking, what looked like, a set of Raiders. They, however, must've been the Tribals that the owner of the mansion mentioned. I pulled out my gun from its holster and shot the head off one as another began to attack.

Before I realized that the dogs had already disposed of the other Tribals that attacked them, several more appeared behind me. I continued to shoot one in the head, but he still wouldn't die- it was then that I switched to my Chinese Assault Rifle, and continued to fire upon him until he fell to the ground.

Another one appeared before me, but this time, one of the dogs managed to kill him before he attacked me with his ax. By this point, the dogs, whose names were Geri and Freki, had moved to the other side of the foyer where I couldn't see them. I followed them, and saw them attack more Tribals that had appeared from the room next to the set of stairs. I managed to finish one off, who was already wounded by Geri. Another one came at me, and I continued to shoot her until the Mark Turret system installed in the mansion had killed her.

These Tribals- they _were _like Raiders- their movement, the fighting style…everything except that they were harder to kill. And less eager to die.

Someone came up behind me, and I was about to pull the trigger, suspecting it was another Tribal- but it was a Ghoul. Despite the air of excitement from the attack of the Tribals, he still had a very sophisticated, if almost jumpy look about him. He wore a Pre-War business suit, and was one of the few Ghouls I've seen to actually have a full-head of hair.

He starred at me intensely, never taking his finger off his shotgun's trigger. "I don't know who you are," He stared. "But you need to help me if you want to stay alive."

"I tend to do that a lot," I say.

"Goddammit, woman!" the Ghoul cursed. "I'm in no mood for your fucking sarcasm!"

"Sorry," I say. "But I usually like to know who I'm work with."

"Smoothskins…" He cursed. "Either they're rude, or they're so goddamn friendly- my name's Desmond. The dogs are Geri and Freski."

He then briefly explained his situation to me.

"Those bastards have been at it since dawn- they've just about breach the inner walls-" He explained walking toward the room. But before he could say anymore, an explosion came from the giant hole across the room, and more Tribals appeared.

I fired upon sight, as Desmond did the same. One fell before they came close to us, but it was only a matter of seconds before the rest were close enough to attack. A female Tribal armed with a Combat Knife had cut my arm before I shot her again and again in the head. I backed away as her blood covered my face, and I reacted to her stealth by bashing the left side of her head with the rear of my Rifle. When she fell to the ground, I fired again, leaving another corpse to decorate the floor of the mansion.

When I looked up at the Ghoul, I saw him finish off one Tribal as another began to attack him. I fired my Rifle aimlessly toward the Tribal until he fell as his comrades did before him.

I looked at my Rifle, and saw that I had about 84 556mm bullets left to use, so I put the Rifle away and took out my 10mm submachine gun again, to save some ammo.

Desmond looked into the next room as I cured the few wounds I had with Stimpaks. "It looks like they're coming from upstairs," He mentioned. I was then lead to another set of stairs, where he instructed me to find out where the Tribals were coming from inside the mansion. He mentioned he would stay on the first level to keep an eye on the camera in the next few rooms over before I headed on upstairs.

These Tribals didn't waste any time when it came surprise attacks. The first thing I saw when I walked upstairs was a hoard of Tribals coming through the aged ceiling. I automatically held the trigger and let the bullets fly toward the first one I saw. The fighting in that one, single room, was exhausting, but I had to keep going. I continued my path, only stopping to loot ammo off of the corpses around me.

I managed to fight off the other Tribals that came my way and attacked me when I reloaded my gun. They kept coming after me and continued to fire aimlessly toward me before I put each one out of their misery.

But in all honesty, fighting my way through these bastards would be much easier if I had Charon and Dogmeat with me- I wouldn't have survived this long out in the Wasteland if it wasn't for them.

It sucked that they weren't here with me.

When I came to the end of the west wing upstairs, I heard Desmond's voice over the intercom- he told me to block the hole across from me and suggested to shoot something explosive to seal the entry where the Tribals were coming from. Luckily, there was an explosive in the room, and the entry was sealed instantly when I shot it.

But it wasn't the end- there was one more entry point where the Tribals could enter. I needed to go to the east wing of the mansion to block the breach where they were entering.

When I exited the room, I saw the owner of the mansion with his dogs showing me the way to the east wing. It wasn't long before more Tribals appeared and attacked us. But because they didn't focus their attention on me, it was easier to kill them as we continued through the wing. He told me to find a way to stop the Tribals from coming in just like before, and I made no complaints.

…Neither of us expected me to fall through the floor beneath me when I made my way through the wing.

I was lucky I didn't break my back from such a fall.

From the looks of it, I fell through the first two floors all the way to the basement… God, you've got to me kidding me.

After an hour of killing, and dragging myself across the mansion, I finally found the breach I was looking for- as before, I managed to block off the entry using an explosive in the room.

When I made my way back to the foyer, I saw Desmond once again, who briefly "congratulated" me for destroying the two entry points of the Tribals- making it less easy for them to storm the mansion.

"Heal up and reload your gun, Smoothskin," He says. "We're gonna hit them hard."

A loud crash was heard, coming from behind the walls. They were coming.

"All right, any second now…" He mutters. Never keeping his eyes off the monitors stationed on the top floor of the foyer where we were.

We waited as time flowed by…5 minutes…10 minutes…and then-

"Here they come! Second floor, on the right!"

They came through the boarded door, armed with axs, double-barrel shotguns, and lever-action rifles. Six of them came at us, but it didn't seem like any more would come. Desmond fired from afar, as the dogs attacked the Tribals head-on. I moved in towards them, aiming for their heads, and trying to shoot their weapons out of their hands.

It took a while, but the first batch of Tribals fell.

The next group appeared on the first floor, on the right. Instead of shooting them from afar as Desmond did, this time I threw Frag Grenades from where I stood- the only thing that worried me was dogs getting hit instead of the Tribals. Luckily neither of them did. When only a few stood standing, I switched back to my gun and shot them from afar. It took a while since I was so far away from them, but I managed to finish off the last of the Tribals.

And then-

"Door on the left, first floor!"

Son of a bitch! I am sick of these motherfuckers! Don't they ever give up?!

104 10mm ammo left… Damn. I've had it. I'm taking out the Tesla Cannon.

Probably the best thing that happened to me while helping out the Brotherhood of Steel- obtaining a Tesla Cannon. They were rare, but powerful. I had enough ammo on me for the Tesla Cannon, so I merely fired away. I shot at every Tribal I saw, not caring if I missed or not. It didn't matter to be honest, the after shock from the Cannon's attack would still injure any nearby enemy anyway.

When the group of Tribals fell, however, I saw that the dogs were unconscious- they would be out for a while.

To me dismay, it was still not over.

"Last one! They're at the front door!"

Fortunately, only about two or three Tribals came barging through the front doors. Within three shot of my Tesla Canon it was all over.

The Tribals' raid was over.

"That's the last of 'em," Desmond says. "You're a pretty good shot…for a Smoothskin that is."

I dropped the Tesla Cannon in exhaustion, I wiped my face to see that I had been sweating heavily.

"You're not so bad, yourself." I say to him.

When I checked the time on my Pip-Boy, I saw that it was already 4:30- I spent four hours helping this man live another day, he better be thankful for me helping him.

"…Even so, you think you're my hero? Think you came in and rescued me right in the nick of time?"

…Or not. Ass.

"Hardly. Had it all well in hand, and I didn't even need to use the failsafe," He bragged.

"Oh please, don't start acting like some egomaniac- _you _were the one who asked for my help in the first place," I said coldly. " Besides, I'm pretty sure I just saved your life here, Desmond."

"An 'egomaniac'? Look who's talking," He says. "You do one good deed, and you think you're as holy as those Brotherhood of Steel assholes."

_One good deed? _I've done more than just _"one good deed"_, you prick. I've disarmed an atomic bomb, rescued a doctor from a Super Mutant infested area, made a deal with a group of self-proclaimed "vampires" to stop attacking a poor town, destroyed the base of the Enclave, as well as destroyed the remnants of said organization in the Capitol Wasteland.

I was in no mood to deal with son of a bitch treating me like a common merc.

"You mentioned a failsafe," I merely say. "What kind of failsafe?"

"The type that kills everyone outside of my saferoom and leaves a hell of a mess to clean up. Standard type." Desmond answers. "Not worth wasting on those savages- luckily for me, you happened to come along."

Great.

"Well you know my name, I might as well know yours," He says. "Although it doesn't really matter to me at this point."

"Then why did you even bother asking?" I ask. "Want to know the name of your 'hero'?"

"Very funny, wiseass."

"The people in the Capitol Wasteland know me as the Lone Wanderer," I say to him. "My real name is not worth mentioning. By the way, why were those Tribals attacking you?"

"Not a fucking clue." Desmond cursed. "I don't know if it's because of their crazy religion, but if I'm right, and I always am, there's something else going on. This was the third attack this month, so somebody's got it a grudge with me. And whether it's a man or a god, I intend to set the fucker straight."

God, well isn't he cocky.

"Desmond, do you know why they'd want to attack the mansion?" I asked him.

"Damned if I know," He answered. "It was abandoned when I got here. But nothing here would be useful to a bunch of crazed inbreds."

After drinking a bottle of purified water I had, I asked the foul-mouthed Ghoul if he knew this Nadine girl that I was looking for. He answered that the last time he knew anyone named Nadine, he "still had skin".

"I see…" I merely replied. My business here was done. Before I could make my way through the sea of corpses to the door, the Ghoul stopped me.

"Not so fucking fast, woman." Desmond says as he walks up to me. "You can be useful to me. I need someone willing to get their hands dirty."

I glared at him intensely, but he didn't seem to care- he probably had enough people look at him like that throughout his long life.

"I may be tougher than your average merc, but the payment for our services are the same-" I tell him. "You want to use me, it comes with a price."

"Yes, if you're gonna be a good pup, I'm gonna have to give a treat. I've lived long enough to know how you Wasters work." He replies to my words. "Of course I'm gonna pay for your efforts- but before I give you your reward, I need to find a way into their little commune and figure out what's going on in their little heads- figure out why they're trying to fucking kill me."

"What kind of reward are going to offer me?"

"The only reliable currency in the world: information. You provide me with valuable info about those damned Tribals, and I pay you in kind."

I was going to tell him that it wasn't my kind of reward- my services are worth far more than "information". But I figured that he wouldn't let me leave until I agreed to help him.

…Dear Lord, what kind of shit have I gotten myself into this time?


	2. Walking With Spirits

**Chapter 2:**

**Walking With Spirits**

**-Eight Months after leaving Vault 101-**

**-16 Days after destroying the Adams AFB Platform-**

**-Two days after the raid at Calvert Mansion-**

**-10:17am-**

Desmond told me that the Tribals were located in a Cathedral north of Calvert Mansion. But if he was expecting me to go there right away, he was sadly mistaken- I was in no mood to walk a mile up to some crazed cult's hideout.

For two days, I practically just rested, and sold any junk I had to Panada and bought more ammo and Stimpaks. The only interesting thing that actually happened to me during those two days were being attacked by Swampfolk, and finding a holotape in the Headstead Motel. (Apparently, the holotape contained instructions for a Chinese soldier that was able to infiltrate Point Lookout over 200 years ago).

My long walk to the Ark & Dove Cathedral actually didn't take as long as I originally thought it would be. The only real problem getting up there were the countless numbers of Feral Ghouls that attacked me when I walked through the Cathedral Cemetary. But Feral Ghouls, to me, were the considerably the weakest irradiated creatures that had spawned after the Great War. So it didn't really matter to me.

When I approached the Cathedral, I immediately heard a voice come from the intercom.

"Hark! Who goes there? Who linger at the threshold of transcendence?"

"The threshold of transcendence"? Are you kidding me? Might as well play along.

"I am but a lost soul seeking guidance. Thus, I seek the power and wisdom of your people." I say. "Please kind sir, may I join your tribe?"

"What's this? A humble traveler, seeking the guidance of our awakened minds? Truly, this is a glorious day!"

Yeah, I wish.

"...If you seek entry, you must be prepared to expand your consciousness. You must prove yourself worthy to transcend!"

God, why do I always have to do some sort of "test" before I enter thee stupid cults? It's really time-consuming. And pointless.

"I have no fear. I shall take your test." I merely reply.

"Be careful to not be over- confidant. Stronger souls have faced the Ritual of the Mother Seed, and have lost their minds."

Great.

The man behind the intercom told me to "venture west into the great bog" where I'd find the "mother of all Punga Fruit". I needed to "collect her seeds" which sounded easy enough... if you're not considering actually getting there, and fighting through whatever's actually in there.

The "mother of all Punga fruit" was located a Bog Entrance at the ass-end of Point Lookout. Any normal person would complain about all the walking, but I didn't. Compared to how colossal the Capitol Wasteland is, and my little adventures there, this was nothing. In all honesty, the whole area of Point Lookout as a whole was about one-fifth the size of the Capitol Wasteland itself.

One thing I did notice when I walked my way through the grimy swamp was that there were barely any traders or people here whatsoever… well, barely any people who wouldn't attack me anyway. The closest thing to a normal person I saw here so far were Smugglers who were as common as your every day Talon Merc. A trader named Haley I met was pretty nice too, but I wouldn't associate myself with people like Smugglers or Swampfolk if I were him (then again, there are barely anyone here to trade with at all). He, Panada, and Tobar were the only people I could find so far in this place who I could actually trade with without getting shot at by some Creeper or Brawler.

Even if the humidity did get to me at times, Point Lookout as a whole was interesting to explore. It was unpleasant to look at, but it was nice to see something other than the barren Wasteland that I've lived in these past eight months. Even if it was an irradiated swamp.

As I fought more and more Swampfolk as I was making my way to the Sacred Bog, I found myself being disgusted with them. I know I sound shallow, especially since I had no problems with Ghouls. And it wasn't like they chose this way of life, or their grotesque appearance. They were poisoned with radiation, and (from what I heard from Haley and Tobar) cursed by their poor breeding. Because of this, they suffered by losing their intellect, and being reverted back to being primitive creatures that knew nothing but violence and began worshipping false gods.

I knew this. But I still began to detest them. I know it's wrong of me to think like this, especially only after being here for a few days. But deep down, I didn't care.

Wouldn't that make me the same as those bigots from Tenpenny Tower?

No, I refuse to put myself in the same league as those fucked-up, egomaniacs.

I will not.

But where is over-thinking about a bunch of unintelligent locals going to get me? Swampfolk are tough to kill, and that's all that should matter to me. …That's what the mercenary inside me was thinking.

I lost track on how long it took me to get to the Sacred Bog, but for some reason, I figured that I was close when a couple Bloatflies appeared. A few minutes later, I found the entry to the Sacred Bog.

When I was actually IN the bog, however, I was surprised to see so many Mirelurks roaming about, and how large the area actually was. Every 10 minutes, I was being attacked by a gang of Mirelurks. So it took me longer to get through the bog than it probably would have. Because of all the Mirelurks, I used up all the ammo for my Chinese Assault Rifle, and I barely had enough left for both my submachine gun and a lever-action rifle that I looted from a Smuggler a day earlier.

What puzzled me most was the amount of traps and Swampfolk cult items that I saw. After nearly two hours of battling Mirelurks, I didn't see a single Swampfolk or Smuggler. So either Swampfolk use to inhabit the bog and were killed…or someone else lived here as well.

That last thought also gave the distinct impression that I was…being followed…But every time I turned around, I couldn't see any sign that someone was following me. I didn't see any other footprints behind me besides my own, and there couldn't have been any safe place for such a follower to hide.

The humid atmosphere of the bog was probably getting to me.

I had a feeling that I was getting closer to the "Mother of All Punga Fruit" when I noticed that long line of Wild Punga Fruit.

Good. I was getting sick of this stupid bog.

It wasn't long before I saw the "Mother of All Punga Fruit"- despite how it sounded, it was a very befitting name to the life-sized plant that I stood before.

How those Tribals ever discovered something like this, I'll never know. I couldn't really describe its grotesque form into words, but it looked nothing like the Punga Fruit I saw around Point Lookout. It was as though it was in a completely different class, something almost undiscovered by the "modern" world.

I practically stood there for five minutes just looking at it.

Its seeds were easy to get to…but the moment I grabbed them from its vines, an almost toxic gas was emitted.

*****

I don't know how much time went by since I passed out. But it probably wasn't that long.

It was as though time had stopped, and all other forms of life had disappeared.

How long has it been since I felt so alone? Why did I feel this way? Why now?

The first thing I saw was a Bobblehead. Call me crazy, but that is what I saw. An over-sized, S.P.E.C.I.A.L. edition Bobblehead- the "Intelligence" version.

_Tsk. Tsk. Walked right into another trap. Exactly how stupid are you?_

I could hear its taunting voice in my head- I really am gullible, aren't I? This isn't the first trap I've walked myself into, not the first time I was too stupid to realize that I was caught in another person's attempt to hurt me.

Why am I feeling this way?

Another Bobblehead appeared before me- except this time, it was the "Strength" version.

_This is one situation you're not going to be able to fight your way out of._

I've been through many situations where I couldn't fight back- where I couldn't do anything to help those around me. Why should this hallucination be any different?

A hallucination? No…or is this a dream? A nightmare?

I thought I was walking, but I couldn't feel the ground beneath me. Nor the humidity of the bog. There was silence- all, except for the imaginary strings music that I kept hearing before the "Endurance" Bobblehead appeared.

_Keep it up, you're almost there…wherever "there" may be…probably nowhere._

After Dad died…I realized that everything that I've been doing…was probably in vain. Even when I was searching for him, every time I gained a clue to his location, I thought I was almost there…almost there to see him... Until I was told that "he was already gone". He was my only motivation. I kept going, always thinking that I was almost there…almost there to find him…But I never knew where "there" was. Maybe all of my travels had been for nothing. Maybe all the paths I've took, all the accomplishments I've made…maybe it really didn't matter. Maybe it really did lead to "nowhere".

Everything that I saw lead from Nuka-Cola Quantums falling from the sky, to invisible Feral Ghouls attacking me, to an actual imaginary "saw" cutting through the ground.

_Isn't it funny how everything you get close to ends up leaving?_

Everything…that's close to me…ends up leaving…?

My mom…my dad…my friends…it's all true, isn't it?

All of my feelings…this unbearable confusion…these doubts in my heart…

I…No! I don't want to believe it! It's not true!

_This doesn't look right, does it?_

Nothing has ever "looked right" to me. Not this hallucination…not this nightmare. Nor has any of the people I've ever met. Nothing has "looked right"- nothing has ever "been right".

Not even the needle that's "sewing" along the path. It's possibly leading to the end. Or it won't- it probably "leads nowhere".

The next Bobblehead tore at my heart.

A "Charisma" Bobblehead, right next to the skeleton of my mother.

What the fuck is this? Why…was…

_Blech. If my kid looked like that, I'd abandon it too._

She…Mom…Mom didn't…

She didn't die…because she hated me, did she? Because she was disgusted with my existence?

_Did both Mom and Dad die because they hated me? Is that why they both abandoned me? _

That was why Dad left the Vault in the first place, wasn't it? Because he was sick of me. Because they were both sick of me. Is that what you're trying to say?!

They all abandoned me, didn't they? The dead bodies that laid before me.

A settler from Megaton, Elder Lyons, Moira Brown…

And even Amata. She, above all us, abandoned me at the doorway at Vault 101. She said she hated me, when I walked out the door, for killing the man who claimed to be her loving father. She then had the nerve to plead for my assistance to help her, and all those other selfish assholes in Vault 101 overthrow the new Overseer. And so I helped her. Only to be banished from my home…from Vault 101.

Amata abandoned me. She hurt me. Deep down, I will always be angry at her for that.

_Dead parents, life in a post-nuclear Wasteland and not a friend in it. Yeah, you're not exactly blessed._

No. I wasn't. That was one doubt in my heart that I will not try to overlook. I didn't care if I was some "Hero of the Wastes", some "Messiah" for the people of this land to look up to.

I didn't care.

Because…what's the point of living this life with no one to share it with? No family, no true friends to live for.

"Congratulations, my girl! You're going to make it through as right as rain!"

Mr. Burke, huh? And Megaton's bomb as well? Yes, it was definitely Mr. Burke.

I wondered what happened to him…I wonder if he sill hates me…

"No, no. Don't try to get up yet. You'll only hurt yourself."

And then the bomb exploded.

*****

What the hell just happened? God, my head's killing me…

I don't know how I got to the bog entrance, or what the hell happened to me when I was apparently knocked out, and I had a feeling those goddamn Tribals had something to do with it…with the fact that there was a huge scar on my head!

Sick and tired from spending about two to three hours and a hellish bog, I managed to make my way to a lone shack, nearly half-way to the Ark & Dove Cathedral. The shack was inhabited by a local named Marguerite, who allowed to stay the night, on the condition that I brings her ingredients (Punga Fruit (which I immediately gave her since I picked up a lot in the Sacred Bog), yeast, and fission batteries) for her family's "Moonshine", which sounded like some strong alcohol that I know Moriarty would love to get his hands on- it'd probably make his business even better than it already is.

*****

**-6:30am-**

**-The Next Morning-**

I left Marguerite's early, since I wanted to get to the Cathedral as quick as I could- Desmond's probably pulling his hair out wondering if the bastards that attacked him had killed his Smoothskin spy…or not. The jerk.

Not long after fighting my way through a couple Feral Ghouls, I made it to the Cathedral. When I reached there, the man behind the intercom immediately announces that I am now welcomed to their tribe before I get close enough to the intercom, saying that I did his stupid task.

The doors to the Cathedral opened, and the man behind the intercom, Jimson, appeared to me. "Truly, the Mother Punga has bestowed her wisdom upon you, and your mind has been expanded!"

"You…what happened to me? Is the ritual complete?" I asked.

I couldn't really hear what he was saying- my head hurt too much to understand whatever was coming out of his mouth. Everything went in one ear and out the other.

As long as I was able to get in the Cathedral, and find out what the hell's the problem with these lunatics, I guess everything's all right…As long as they don't try to kill me or anything.


	3. Hearing Voices

**Chapter 3:**

**Hearing Voices**

**-Eight Months after leaving Vault 101-**

**-17 Days after destroying the Adams AFB Platform-**

**-Three Days after the raid at Calvert Mansion-**

**-7:05am-**

I didn't bother asking Jimson about his tribe since I didn't care why this cult formed and what they believed in. When I asked why the Tribals attacked Calvert Mansion, Jimson only said it was because their leader, Jackson ordered them to. He also mentioned that I couldn't meet him at that moment because he was in "meditation", and he wouldn't tell me where his "nexus of meditation" was.

So basically, I couldn't meet their all-knowing leader. But I didn't feel like waiting for his return.

Jimson allowed me to walk around the Cathedral grounds, and I couldn't help but notice all the Punga Fruit that were grown here. Another Tribal named Croatoa mentioned that they were called "Refined Punga Fruit"- again, I didn't necessarily care about the Punga Fruit, or how they grew it. It seemed like a waste of time.

I needed to see if there were any other Tribals around here that could give me a clue to Jackson's location.

I saw more Punga Fruit that the Tribals were growing when I went inside the Cathedral. They seemed to have an obsession with the frit if they were taking such great care in growing them.

To be honest, these crazy Tribals were actually quite friendly when they weren't busy attacking people…I guess they're only like this to their own kind and to people who were welcomed in the Cathedral. But I couldn't get a straight answer from these people about their leader, Jackson. Either they were too into their "meditation" to respond to my questions, or they merely said that "only the enlightened ones can enter the Cavern of Communion", or something along those lines.

"Looks like we have another newbie in the tribe!" One of the Tribals said cheerfully to me. Unlike every one else, she still looked sane. "And it seems like you're still able to strong together whole sentences- ain't you the lucky one."

"Wait, what do you mean by 'lucky'?" I asked.

"You still remember your name? How's your memory? See, when I came back, there were bits in my memory where all I was able to recall was a white light and a jumble of voices. Crazy, huh?" She kept explaining. "But you're not drooling, so it looks like you're doing okay. The rest weren't so lucky when they got their heads cut open."

What?!

"I'm going to go crazy if you keep talking like that- what the hell do you mean? Heads cut open? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Whoa, don't need to get all freaked out!" She says. "Looks like you have a scar on your head. We all get'em after going into that fucked up bog."

I touched the scar on my head, and began to hold it in pain as she kept talking. "Y'know, the last part of the ritual. After you pass out, they get a guy to bring you back, cut open your skull, and 'free your mind'."

"So they basically rip put a part of your brain?" I say.

"Yep. It's supposed to be the part that 'holds you back', but that doesn't always work out so good."

You've gotta be kidding me… Jesus Christ, and I though those freaks at Megaton were crazy for worshipping an atomic bomb…this cult beats out every single one I've seen so far.

They ripped out a part of my brain?! Who the hell _does _that?! Saying these people are nuts doesn't even describe them…

"Anyway, you look like a lively one, so welcome to the tribe!" She says cheerfully. "My name's Nadine!"

"Nadine?" This kid is the reason I traveled all the way to this frickin' swamp in the first place! But I guess I might as well get some more information out of here before I deliver Catherine's letter.

"Say, do you know if there's any way to get rid of my scar?" I ask.

"You're actually a real lucky one, and it probably didn't do any permanent damage. The scar will heal up on its own, but you'll still be missing a chunk of brain- ain't anything I can do then."

Nadine also mentioned that she had a hunch on who was the one who cutting open our heads, and she was gonna do some snooping once she left this group of freaks, Finally, I asked her where Jackson was, and she finally gave me a straight answer. After rambling about how this cult was "the same as every where else", she told me that his "magical thinking cave" was under the Cathedral, and I had to get through a wrecked ship at the sea cliffs to the east. (Seems like she followed Jackson there once).

Once I gave Nadine Catherine's letter, I decided to go find Jackson's precious "thinking cave". I could've gone back to Desmond to tell him Jackson's location. But knowing him, he'd probably treat me like one of his dogs and yell at me for not acting like a smart pup and search him out.

*****

**-11:02am-**

Most of my day included fighting my way through Feral Ghouls and Mirelurks. I was pissed to see that Point Lookout had freaking Reavers, since they were so hard to kill- God! I _hated _Feral Ghoul Reavers!

Climbing down to the bottom of the sea cliffs wasn't exactly easy either. Climbing down took a good while, and when I immediately got down, Mirelurks attacked me. However, most of them were weak, regular Mirelurks, so they were easy enough to kill.

The wrecked ship that Nadine mentioned was easy to find, and I was able to enter it easily with the key that she gave me before I came here. (…Then again, how _did _she come across the key anyway? That girl has a lot of free time on her hands).

The cave was not as claustrophobic as I had imagined, and it was nice that I was on a cliff so I could shoot any Mirelurks from afar with my Tesla Cannon. Why someone would come to monster-infested cave of all places to "meditate", I'll never know… I'd use some…I don't know, an underground basement of sorts to…do whatever it is Jackson is doing in this dark, and damp place.

A line of torches seemed to lead to wherever Jackson was- I finally found him among the ruined coffins that fell from the cemetery above the cavern. He was upon a small cliff near a ladder, where he appeared to be…worshipping. As I got closer, I could hear a voice…a vain, irritated voice that almost reminded me of Desmond.

"At last, yes! Desmond will die, and our long struggle will finally end the only way it could have- with me as the victor!"

When I got closer, I could see what it was…the thing that Jackson was bowing his head in respect…a hologram.

A hologram of a brain.

What the fuck…?

I began to sneak, and listened more to what…to what this _thing _was saying. I couldn't hear whatever it was Jackson was saying, but I could hear the hologram's voice loud and clear.

"No, not 'astral knowledge', you fool! Psychic domination! And that still won't be possible until you destroy Desmond' jamming device!"

…So this…this hologram…this _thing_, is what's really manipulating the Tribals. With Jackson as his messenger. He's using the Tribals to try to kill Desmond…

"Yes, fine, go destroy the house and its 'impurities'. Just stop that jammer and I'll be free of you morons, once and for all!"

This is what happens when you're presented as some sort of deity to a brain-washing cult- they always misinterpret what you really want…that's what I learned when I met Harold in the Oasis.

When the…what looked like a brain, dismissed Jackson, the leader noticed me, and approached me. Curious as to why I was here. When he asked me why I was here, I told him that I was "drawn by his eternal wisdom". (As if).

After more rambling, he allowed me to see his "Transcendent Master"- I found it pathetic that he viewed his thing as his god… a holographic projection of all things. When Jackson left the cave, the hologram… the "brain" began to speak:

"So, you're the mouse that was scurrying around here? A Waster with nothing to much to look at, but at least you're not drooling all over yourself. I can work with that. You seem to be more useful than that simpering spiritualist and his tribe of idiots."

"What the fuck are you anyway?" I immediately asked.

"What you are interacting with is merely a holographic projection. And a rather clumsy one, at that, but it's all I can manage at the moment." He explained. "As for myself, you gaze upon one of America's greatest minds, preserved through the miracles of science! More much elegant than shambling on as some rotting corpse for all eternity, don't you agree?"

For some reason, his last comment ticked me off- I don't know why, but it disgusted me.

"Sorry, but I wouldn't know anything about that- I'm just some stupid kid from the Capital Wasteland." I merely replied.

"A Waster? Yes, the only thing you Wasters are able to do kill for your own survival. However, you seem stronger than an average Wastelander, I give you that much."

"Tell me, how did you come to lead this tribe?"

"And more curious than an average Waster at that! Jackson believes me to be some sort of god- you'd think that would be good, but his interpretations of my commands leaves something to be desired." He answered. "Regardless, I trust you can ve more effective than he has been. I need your help on an important task. There's a troublesome Ghoul who lives in Calvert Mansion. I need him destroyed and his jamming device neutralized immediately."

"Oh really? Just what do you have against the Ghoul, anyway?" I asked pretentiously.

"More than you can possibly imagine with your squishy pink mind, but the only pressing matter at the moment is a device in his possession."

Yep, they were rivals.

"He has a jammer that limits my projection range to this pathetic cave. Remove that, and I can extend my reach so much further. Killing Desmond would be a nice plus, but I'm sure we can get around to that later."

Whatever lead to this hatred between the two, I honestly didn't care.

As long as I'm getting paid, I really don't give a damn.


	4. Thought Control

**Chapter 4:**

**Thought Control**

**-Eight Months after leaving Vault 101-**

**-17 Days after destroying the Adams AFB Platform-**

**-Three Days after the raid at Calvert Mansion-**

**-12:10pm-**

I walked all the way back to Calvert Mansion realizing that I hadn't had any contact with Desmond since I left the mansion three days ago. He was probably wondering where his little Smoothskin puppy went too. (He talked down to me like I was his new pet dog, the jackass). After a while, I was beginning to think if it was all worth it, running around an irradiated swamp for some Ghoul who had too much pride to do shit himself.

I shouldn't be complaining, since he _says _he's gonna pay me. And I've done all sorts of crap when it came to caps- from getting a 200 year old violin, retrieving a piece of paper from a Mutant-infested area, to doing something as low as becoming a temporary slaver. (I'm not _that_ heartless, I really did feel bad for enslaving Red and Flak… the caps were good though. I can't say I felt bad for enslaving Arkansas and Susan Lancaster though- the two could go to hell for all I care). With 250 caps per every slave I caught, I was finally able to afford getting my Fat Man repaired.)

*****

When I finally got back to Desmond's fucking mansion, my Chinese Assault Rifle had broken in a fight with a bunch of Smugglers- bastards. From what I've seen, there's nothing here in this stupid swamp but crazed inbreds and more goddamn radiation. Maybe there really was some "unknown treasure" here that I was unaware of, and maybe only the Smugglers were aware of it- but from what I've seen, there's nothing here.

The mansion was still decorated with the corpses that Desmond and I left behind three days ago. It was exactly as it was when I left. I was a bit baffled that he didn't have the decency to "clean up" the damn things, but after 200 years of fighting for his life, he probably didn't even care anymore- especially since he told me that he wasn't going to be staying in Point Lookout for much longer anyway.

"Where the fuck have you been?" Desmond's familiar raspy voice shouted at me from above on the second floor of the foyer.

"Does it really take that fucking long to infiltrate a bunch of cocksucking inbreds?" He shouted again.

"Sorry, they got me side-tracked by traveling half way across this swamp," I say with almost no hint of annoyance in my voice. He began to walk down the stairs of the foyer as I continued giving Desmond a load of bullshit, just to piss him off.

"What, were you afraid your little 'pup' had gone and gotten herself killed?"

Desmond merely scoffed at the thought. "Give me a fucking break, don't try to act cute with me, woman- I know your type. The Waster with a goddamn attitude, who thinks they're stronger than your average mercenary, but dies at an early age- I've known far too many people just like you."

I rolled my eyes, but he continued. "Were you able to infiltrate the Tribals, or not?"

I told the Ghoul everything I knew about the Tribals from my encounter with them at the Ark & Dove Cathedral. He seemed completely uninterested in what I had to say… until I mentioned that they seemed to be worshipping a "Brain". He then immediately responded angrily as though he had a negative epiphany.

"What?! I knew it! I knew that little bastard was behind all this! After all these years, he's stuck his head out, and this is my chance to cut it off!" He cursed.

"I knew it! So you _do _know this brain thing- who the hell is he?" I say urgently.

"That bastard… My old rival… so close to his family home. Only he would be so stupid." He merely said walking past me. "He use to be a man- a very stupid one at that. His name's Calvert. The bastard's family use to own half of Maryland, back when there was a Maryland to own."

I turned toward him and continued to pecker his brain to get more information out of him- out of all the people who have tried to use me; I never ended up as someone's pawn to settle an old rivalry. I was interested, if not annoyed at the very thought.

"So he's your rival, huh?" I respond.

"Didn't I just say that? Yes, Calvert is my old rival. We've played this game for centuries. I knew he'd be stupid enough to hide so close to his family home." He says.

I was about to open my mouth to comment on whatever hatred Desmond had for Calvert, but he stopped me before I could even say anything. "And no, it's not a matter of hate, it's a matter of destiny. Calvert is my enemy, and I do not suffer any motherfucker who opposes me to live. I knew he was here, and it is my intent to find him, and call a righteous fucking hammer on his head."

"I see. That's nice," I say sarcastically. God, sometimes I think he likes to hear himself talk as much as Calvert himself. "And now you want me to do something else, right?"

"Of course I fucking want you to do something else! Like hell I'm gonna trod around this mudhole myself!" The Ghoul cursed.

Dear, Jesus- He was giving me a headache!

"All right, I get it, I get it, old man- your mean." I moaned.

"You're goddamn right, I am." I actually giggled when he said that- it was nice to know when someone knew he was a cold-hearted son of a bitch. "Now, let's get on with the work, shall we?"

And so, I allowed myself to be his little servant for the time. Desmond mentioned that since the Tribals were getting Calvert's messages, he was broadcasting them somewhere. And without the Tribals to do anything for him, Calvert can't do much himself. He mentioned that Calvert was using a high frequency cognitive sine broadcast- and that he himself has a device to jam the said broadcast. Desmond told me to take it to the highest point in the area, and install it.

The highest place near the area is… the ferris wheel down by the docks. I was to attach the jammer to the bottom car, turn it on, and spin it all the way to the top. "No fuckin' problem" Desmond says.

*

I left the mansion for Pilgrim's Landing as soon as Desmond gave me the cogwave jammer. The Ferris wheel was around Panada's shop if I remembered correctly.

It was unusually dark for this time of day- with rain clouds hovering over all of Point Lookout, as if it would rain any minute. It's been like that ever since I arrived here at Point Lookout, but today it was as though they were an omen for whatever laid ahead of me. Almost the moment I walked near Pilgrim's Landing, my head began to throb, and an irritating voice had made it even worse.

"It is I, Professor Calvert!"

Calvert? Where…

"Don't bother looking around, girl, I'm in your mind!"

I began to walk slower as I saw the Ferris wheel in full view, with Calvert's annoying voice pounding in my head. I almost dropped the jammer that Desmond gave me, since I was moving like I had a little too much to drink. I couldn't help it- Calvert's voice was nearly making my head explode.

"Aren't you Desmond's faithful little employee? Coming to gum up my work are we? Well I have a better idea…" He says. "How about instead of playing his game, you destroy that nasty little device I assure you the gratitude of Professor Calvert is worth a great deal than that of a washed up old limey."

But I'm pretty sure that anything Desmond gives me is worth far better than the "gratitude" of a "brain".

I made my way up the ramp toward the Ferris wheel with my head feeling better when Calvert began to shut his trap and waited, to see what my next move would be. No one was there, but I could sense an air of bloodthirsty excitement around me. Calvert has sent his Tribals to attack me if I did not follow his orders.

I could not stand the thought of being used by something… something like Calvert. I refused to be used by an AI, by a computer, and a "brain" certainly will not use me. By someone who chose to discard his own body and was forced to live that rest of his life hiding like a coward.

The moment I installed the cogwave jammer onto the Ferris wheel, Calvert's voice pierced into my head again.

"You fool! What have you done! You will pay for this! PAY!" He shrieked. Before I was able to grab my head in agony, I saw them- Tribals. Not only did I spy hoards of them coming from the docks, but more were stationed on the roofs of the wrecked buildings surrounding the Ferris wheel.

"No one betrays me!" Calvert's voice was fading, as the wheel slowly headed toward the top once I activated it to move again.

The minute I saw I Tribal, I pulled out a frag grenade and began to first attack them from afar. I threw four grenades, which killed off two or three of them, but the rest cam e closer to me than I would've liked. I pulled out my Plasma Rifle and continued to attack them with my health getting lower and lower between the hidden snipers from the rooftops and the axes-wielding Tribals in front of me.

One Tribals swong his axe at me, but barely missed- a few inches more, and he would've cut my head clean off. I was able to jump back just in time, and the moment I landed on the ground, I shot the bastard's head clean off. One behind him, thrusted his axe down on me the moment his comrade fell to the ground. I managed to jump back on my feet and get out of his way before I was able to get hurt. Within two shots of my rifle, he ended up dead along with his other comrades.

Mere seconds after, a great pain was inflicted upon my left arm- I screamed, and grabbed my arm. I looked up and saw a sniper, reloading her rifle. The bitch crippled my arm. I immediately switched to my SMG, and fired aimlessly toward her direction. When she fell, my focus was toward the closest sniper I could find.

I went down the ramp, and began to run down the walkway, seeing the other Tribals in sight, I aimed carefully this time, and shot each of them in the head. The moment I could find a break between the cross-fire, I injected my arm with a stimpak, which healed it a little bit, but not much. But it was enough for me to fully use a two-handed weapon without me hurting myself.

I switched to the nearly-broken Tesla Cannon, thinking that it would give me a better chance at killing my enemies than my SMG. Four more Tribals instantly fell to the Tesla Cannon above, but more Tribals came at me from the walkway in front of me. I continued to use the Tesla Cannon to fire at the Tribals when I spotted them from far away, but once they got closer, I switched back to the SMG. But by that time, the number of Tribals that came at me had already been reduced by half.

I thought I lost myself fighting the Tribals- hey kept coming, one after another. I was blind to everything but the enemies in front of me, and the sound of bullets piercing through flesh. Before I realized it, every last Tribal that came after me had ended up dead on the ground, with their blood dyeing the walkway crimson red.

I was breathing heavily, as I put my gun in its holster, and noticed that I, too, was covered in blood. Whether it was my own, or someone else's, I didn't care. All that mattered was that I was not as severely injured as I could've been. I've been in worse shape before.

Even so, I found myself slowly moving away from Pilgrim's Landing, and headed back to the Homestead Motel.

*

**-5:25pm-**

No one followed me back to the Homestead Motel, so I assumed that I had killed all the Tribals in the area that were after me. I was so freaking lucky that there was nothing in this place that tried to kill me- no Swampfolk, no Radroaches- nothing. The only thing that was in any of the rooms of the Homestead Motel were skeletons.

I spent an hour merely resting and cleaning up my wounds. But after that, I went back to Calvert Mansion. I didn't want to waste anymore time. I was tired, and I had enough dealing with Tribals, Swampfolk, Desmond, and this godforsaken mudhole.

When I began walking back, I assumed that Desmond had figured out where Calvert was hiding. He mentioned that he shouldn't be too far from our current location. If Desmond did end up locating his wherabouts, then I'll finally be rid of both those cold-hearted bastards.

That _was _my thought anyway, when I came up to Calvert Mansion… until small flares of fire erupted from the building. And within seconds, the entire mansion exploded before my eyes. Knocking me back, and covering the sky with bitter smoke.


	5. A Meeting of Minds

**Chapter 5:**

**A Meeting of Minds**

**-Eight Months after leaving Vault 101-**

**17 Days after destroying Adams AFB Platform-**

**-Three Days after the raid at Calvert Mansion-**

**-5:30pm-**

What the hell…. Calvert… blew up the mansion…?

Fuck…fuck… Jesus, I think what makes me sad the most… I know this might sound stupid for me to say, but… Calvert Mansion was able to withstand all the terrors of this goddamn world since the bombs fell 200 years ago. And now all of that… it's all gone. It took one egotistical son-of-a-bitch to destroy a mansion such as this. It wasn't the effects of the atomic bombs that fell all those years ago to destroy this place… but the insanity of a man who had lost his body long ago.

And Desmond…was Desmond dead?

That bastard better not be dead! I did all this shit for him, and I'm not expecting anything cheap from him. If he _was _dead, then I hope Calvert has enough valuables in whatever hole he's hiding in to pay me good. Because I'm not leaving this hellhole without getting _something _out of it.

Even so, something told me that Desmond wasn't dead. The bastard was practically immortal, there's no way he'd die this easily.

When I walked around the fresh ruins of Calvert Mansion, it was as though there was nothing there at all to begin with. Three days ago, I was helping a stuck-up Ghoul fight off Tribals in the very same spot I was standing in… but now it was gone.

God, I'm really shallow, aren't I? I care more about the mansion blowing up then the life of the Ghoul who was supposed to pay me.

After nearly recovering from the shock, I began to walk around the ruins searching for… I don't know. Desmond's body, anything left of value… I don't know. Maybe something that could help me locate Calvert or maybe a sign that Desmond was alive.

It didn't take me long until I was able to find what I was looking for.

I saw what looked like the entrance to an old, pre-war bomb shelter that looked like it was recently in use. I grinned, knowing my "employer" was done there all "cozy" and probably completely pissed off. I opened the door to the bomb shelter and went down inside to her as familiar voice cursing like a mad dog.

"That bastard! That fucking BASTARD!" He shrieked. "He killed my pups! Nearly killed ME! And for what?! He doesn't have the body to do it himself, so he tried to blow me up? ME? That fucking miserable little bastard!"

He was so into himself, cursing from heaven to hell (I'd be too, if someone blew up my home), that he didn't even notice that I was even there, nearly right behind him.

"Well this ends today." He continued. "Desmond Lockhart will finally win out!"

"Jesus, sounds like you're ready to finally do something yourself for once." I commented. He never once tried to look for Calvert himself since he met me. The prick should've done it himself if he wanted Calvert dead so much.

"Fucking God- I don't need _your_ fucking criticism right now, woman!" He cursed at me, as if he knew all along that I was in his presence. He turned to face me, and then finally said, "I know where he is. Calvert overplayed his hand this time. You and me are going to walk in there and end this."

God, I'm staring to get really tired of being a pawn in his little game. I merely glared and kept my mouth shut. The sooner this is over with, the sooner I can finally get rid of this asshole.

"So, where is he?" I merely say to him.

Desmond told me that Calvert was in the lighthouse. Apparently, there was a lab in the basement there, and it was there that he tried to send messages to the Tribals. Calvert was right under Desmond's nose this whole time… and he was stupid enough to be this close to his enemy as well.

"He's down there, hiding behind robots and machines, sucking life!" Desmond cursed. "Pathetic! He dies now!"

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go in there and do this." I say.

He merely gave a twisted smile on his rotting face.

"Now that's more like it." He said, like an emperor commanding his servant. "Follow me! You're about to witness the end of an era!"

And so I followed him, as the both of us ran to the lighthouse as fast as we could, hoping to end this long fight.

I never noticed how close the lighthouse actually was to the ruins of Calvert Mansion, so I could see why Desmond was freaking pissed when he found out Calvert's location. I couldn't believe myself how disgustingly close he was- I could've gone to the little bastard myself if I'd known he was there early.

In all honesty, I wanted to stay away from the lighthouse when I was first told by Marguerite that it was completely occupied by Smugglers. When Desmond and I first walked into the lighthouse however, I couldn't see, or sense any Smugglers around us.

Desmond immediately opened a hidden door via a switch that lead to Calvert's lair below.

From what I saw, it seemed as though the hidden laboratory had been left untouched since the Great War two hundred years ago... it reminded me of Vault 112. Everything I learned during the short time I was in there seemed to have entered my mind all at once- every speck of knowledge that was either important to my Dad or not, seemed to have paralyzed me in a state of shock. The last most shocking truth that I had learned since then was the identity of President Eden.

Despite what it looked like, the hidden lab was not uninhabited. In the first room we came to through the long hallway, an alarm had sounded. The Mark Turrets in the room began to activate, and Desmond and I immediately shot them down. He activated the door, and another long hallway was before us. But it didn't take long before Robobrains appeared and attempted to kill us.

Being the sharpshooter that he was, Desmond eliminated his opponents before I had a chance to reload my gun. I wanted to make a comment, but he ran farther ahead of me before I could say anything. He didn't even say anything before he ran off.

In the next room we came to, the doors locked on us immediately after we entered the room. At that point, I noticed a terminal on the other side of the room and went for it, evading the cross-fire of the Mark Turrets.

"Desmond! Cover me!" I shouted, running across the room. He took a shot at the Turret the minute I said it, and attempted to hack into the system to open the door so we could move ahead.

It took me a couple minutes- especially with another Robobrain appearing to make things worse, but I managed to override the security. The door opened, and we moved on.

The two of us wandered throughout the halls of the laboratory for nearly an hour, continuing to fight all the Robobrains and Protectrons that kept coming at us, as well as continuing to be locked within similar rooms- and unlocking the in similar manners as I had before. When we got farther and farther in, Desmond got more and more restless- when he stated that his mortal enemy was close- he was finally able to end his two-hundred year long conflict with his mortal enemy at last.

"...I'll circle around and distract him. You take him from the front!" I heard Desmond say.

I finished off the remaining Turrets in the area as Desmond went up ahead of me. When I caught up to Desmond, I could see a pillar of bright, emerald green staring right in front of me. I could hear Desmond's voice, but I couldn't see him- he must've been on the other side of the room.

"…So Mister Lockhart, we meet again after all these years- face to jar. But I'm afraid at the end of this, it is you will meet his end."

"No, Calvert! I brought someone with me, someone very strong, very special. She tricked you into letting me find where you were hiding."

I rolled my eyes.

I walked around the room, until I could another entrance to the area where Calvert laid- when I approached the Brain, I could see Desmond on the other side, pissed as hell.

"Yes, Desmond. But whose side is she on?"

Side? Whose "side" I was on?

"Do you know?"

The people of the Wastes… always thought I was one of the "Good Guys". That I was some Saint, or some Earthly Angel. … But I… I was just doing what I thought was "right". Whether it was disarming the bomb in Megaton, helping the citizens of Arefu, or even helping Reilly's Rangers.

"Can you be sure?"

But I… I think I changed somewhere along the way to find my Dad… after traveling for months in the Wasteland. People still deemed me as some sort of Messiah, as Three Dog once called me. But after a while, I didn't so some of these "glorified" deeds because I thought it was the right thing to do or anything.

"You always were so bad at choosing your allies."

It was because I had the power to do so. Because I wanted to.

"Well, we shall see, shan't we? Destroy him!"

To kill all the Slavers at the Lincoln Memorial … to free Fawkes in Vault 87… to manipulate Eden into killing himself… to destroy the Adams Air Force Base…

"No, no, destroy HIM! Destroy DESMOND!"

It was because I _could._

"What are you waiting for? Destroy him!"

I closed my eyes and turned toward the Brain. I raised my gun slowly…

"How about I kill you instead?" I merely gave a bittersweet smile.

"Surely you mean you will try-"

The sound of the bullets piercing through glass cut him off. The previously inactivated Protectrons began to move as soon as I shot Calvert's case. Calvert shouted something soon after I first pulled the trigger of the SMG, but I couldn't hear him.

Between Calvert's endless shouting and Desmond's shotgun going off, I was deaf to nearly very sound I heard a few moments ago.

But in a few seconds it was over- the glass shattered in front of me, and the Brain inside fell to the ground below.

And so it was done. Calvert was dead.

"At last! The world is rid of that sniveling, disgusting, arrogant, brain!" I could hear the Ghoul cackle. "Everything he learned! Everything he had! It's all here, and it's all MINE! MINE!"

I didn't say anything. I was just glad it was all over. I just slowly walked over to him, not saying a word as he continued to rant over his "victory".

"All these years, these past 200 years fighting Calvert! Now, at last, I am the victor!" He continued. "… 200 years of technology, knowledge, and research that he stole from me! Every time he beat me, it doesn't matter now!"

Desmond Lockhart. That son of a bitch is no different… Moriarty, Tenpenny, Colonel Autumn, Eden, Eulogy Jones, and even Calvert himself. Desmond was no different than any of them. Though he may have been more intelligent, or even stronger than some of them, he was still just as arrogant, just as power-hungry than any of them.

"So, where's my cut in all this, Desmond?" I asked him coldly.

He merely looked at me with a disgusting look in his eyes and stated, "You're free to take whatever you find in this godforsaken place. What I came for is of now interest to you."

Just as I turned away from him, he opened his mouth again. "Enjoy your spoils, Wanderer. I don't think our paths will ever cross again."

"And let's both thank Christ and say hallelujah for that." I scoffed bitterly.

I left him there, even while collecting any type of ammo, weapon, or armor I could find, I never say him since then. Intelligence, research- none of that concerned me. In the end, the only thing I could really find worth while was the large amounts of energy ammo that was present around the lab.

When I left the lab, via another exit I found in a smaller room, which lead outside the lighthouse, I couldn't help but remember what Calvert asked Desmond before….

_Whose side is she on?_

I questioned that silently, but in my heart I knew-

I was on no one's side. I didn't help the kids in Paradise Falls because I was "good". And I didn't enslave Susan Lancaster or Red because I was "evil". I did it because I wanted to let them know… that I had a will. That I was no one's tool… That I was used by no one.

Not the Brotherhood; not the Enclave. And certainly not Desmond or Calvert.

But what good did that do? I still ended up being used in Desmond and Calvert's rivalry. Maybe that really is the fate of a lone Vault Dweller… to wander the Wasteland, endlessly being used as a pawn.

*****

**-Two Days Later-**

**-12:27pm-**

After the whole Desmond and Calvert incident, I decided to tie up a few loose ends before I decided to go back to the Capital Wasteland. Such as retrieving the last of yeast, fission batteries, and Punga Fruit that Marguerite asked me to get for her. (She offered me some of her Moonshine, but it smelled so awful, I couldn't bear to be in the same room with it). I also attempted to begin the 200 year old Chinese Communist mission left for an old soldier that I found in the Homestead Motel… which took me a good day to do. It would've been such a waste of time if I didn't get a rifle that'd fetch a pretty price before I was almost stuck in an irradiated room.

And now I was ready to go back.

I felt as though I hadn't approached the pier in a long time…. I don't think I came back this way since I first got off the steam boat onto Point Lookout. The _Duchess Gambit _was still there as I had left it… but Tobar wasn't in sight. The only other person on the pier beside myself was… Nadine, who had no longer doned a Tribal garment.

"Oh, hey!" She called out to me. "I was wondering when you'd show up. I found out who went rooting around in our skulls! You'll never guess who it was."

I glanced at Nadine curiously, almost forgetting that she mentioned something about locating the one responsible for cutting out a piece of every Tribal's brain.

"As a totally unrelated hint, I'm in charge of his boat, now." She mentioned cheerfully.

I blinked, and exclaimed without thinking, "Tobar did it? What did you do?"

" I consider it payment for what he did to my poor, sliced-up brain." Nadine answered me slyly. "I was going to do the same to him, but I had a feeling that you'd want the honor."

How generous.

"Seems that when the Tribals would send someone to the swamp, he'd be waiting around to nab them when the Punga Seeds gassed them." Nadine explained. "He'd do his amateur surgery for the Tribals and let us wander back, all in exchange for Punga Fruit to trade. Sweet little deal he had going on."

" Bastard… unless you're not telling the truth." I commented.

"Hey, I know it sounds wacko. I wouldn't believe it either… until I snuck a peek I Tobar's engine room. From the look of it, he kept every bit of gray matter he cut out, and he cut out, and he had quite a collection! You can take a look, if your stomach's up for it. And while you're in there, feel free to give Tobar my love. Preferably the sharp end of a hot knife."

"Nice." I commented. "So you're claiming the boat now?"

"Hell's yeah! Them's the rules of the ocean, you know." Nadine responded. "So that leaves me with a boat, a load of Punga, and a wicked scar. Damn if I haven't earned that adventure I came out looking for."

Try living my life. These past eight month for me have been nothing but "adventure". (If you called almost being killed nearly every day "adventure").

"Think I'll take over running this ship. I can travel as I like, and always head back to the Wasteland to see Mom. Not a bad way to live, huh?"

I guess. Sure. Whatever.

"Of course, you can always ride for free.

Damn, if that didn't bright my day, I don't think anything will. I smiled at her before I asked her for a request.

"Hey, Nadine. Since I was planning to go back to the Capital Wasteland today, is there any chance you can give me a ride and head back to see your mom?"

"Sure, why not? Now that I've got this sweet boat, I can head back home…. For a while, anyway." She responded.

Before we left for the Capital Wasteland, I decided to confront Tobar myself… and give Nadine her "love" if it came down to it.

When I opened the door to the engine room, Tobar was admist his disgusting collection of chunks of brain. He still had the same obnoxious look on his face that I last saw five days ago. I would've been disgusted at his "collection"… but I think I've seen enough grotesque things these past eight months to not have an opinion of what I saw.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite, pretty young traveler! And oh, what a trip you were on," Tobar immediately spoke when he first saw me. "Why, when you were under, you should have heard some of the things that came out of your mouth." I glared at him bitterly when he mentioned the illusions that I had… those sick, disturbing illusions that I had when he was cutting a hole in my skull.

"But I suppose you're more interested in what came out of your head, aren't you?"

I had it. I'd had enough. All this shit over the past few days… it's been driving be crazy. And this little nut is the perfect little fuck to take out all that anger on.

"Tobar, you're a dead man you son of a bitch." I spat coldly.

"But Tobar merely chuckled. "Murder? Really, what would your father say? I assumed he raised you better than that."

What? "Excuse me?"

"You had an awful lot to say about him when you were unconscious. And from the sound of it, he'd be very, very disappointed in what you've become."

I can't really remember when took out a lead pipe and began to beat him to death. I killed him blindly, out of anger and hatred. Knowing that his last words were true.

I didn't want to be here anymore. Ever since those illusions… everything's been tearing at my heart. I couldn't take it. I needed to get away. Far away from here. I immediately went to Nadine and told her that I was ready to leave… and that I did give the estranged ferryman her "love".

*****

I sat quietly in the cabin the whole way back to the Capital Wasteland. I could tell we were back in the Wasteland when I felt the heat of the sun peering through the decayed windows of the boat. I'd never thought I'd be happy to be back in the rotting Wastes.

I walked off the boat, with Catherine reunited with her daughter… which made me jealous with envy. I said my goodbyes, and first decided to go straight back to Megaton to get Dogmeat… and then to Underworld to retrieve Charon (He must be bored to death).

I was back to being the Wasteland's Lone Wanderer… back to being an enigma for the Brotherhood, an enemy to the Enclave, and a hero to the people.

I never wanted any of that, but… I think I accepted it long ago.

This was the fate of a Vault Dwellers.


End file.
